REVIEW: JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR
Civil unrest, alienation, corruption at the highest level — not much has changed since AD33. So co-directors James Packman and LJ Mill have dispensed with sandals and swords for their high-energy production of Jesus Christ Superstar and instead present a dystopian, industrialised setting. It’s a bold move and one of many exciting, theatrical deep-end dives carried off with aplomb in this emotionally charged rock opera.
Jesus Christ Superstar is loosely based on the Passion, the few days before Christ’s crucifixion and ends before his resurrection.
The production is sung through; there are no stretches of spoken dialogue. Not only does the music fuel the show with a relentless pace, it is a medium in which actors naturally find shifts of emotional colour in their delivery.
Happily, the cast includes powerful singing voices, notably from Tahi Paenga as Jesus, Lawrence Mulligan as Judas, Amelia Williams in the role of Mary Magdalene, Andrew Stevens as Pilate and Walter Walsh who plays Herod. None of the principals shy from delivering blow-your-hair back big notes, but from rock-legend-grade sustained falsetto to bass and everything between, Paenga’s range and vocal power is extraordinary.
Raked with sprays of laser-like lights, the skid row, street scene opening is vivid and unsettling, relieved by Mulligan’s entrance with the song Heaven On Their Minds that reveals Judas’s growing concern that Jesus’s followers will be seen as a threat to the Roman Empire.
The upbeat, ensemble song, What’s the Buzz/Strange Thing Mystifying follows hard on its heels and the momentum doesn’t let up until the curtain falls for intermission after Judas’s punch-you-in-the chest song Blood Money/Damned For All Time.
The Gisborne Centrestage production’s cast includes young performers Mila Siata and Rainbow Mapu whose focus and timing blend seamlessly with that of more seasoned performers. In a delicate, poignant touch, Packman incorporates Mila’s dance skills in two of Judas’s scenes, one of the director’s many innovations professional companies might one day think of.
Ensemble actors act their socks off as they expressively connect with each other during principals’ solos. While some of these group set-pieces might seem contrarily static, the solo performances, visual effects and song and dance routines (choreographed beautifully by Mill, Jaeda Mapu and Danielle Siata) spark with theatrical inspiration.
Jesus Christ Superstar is not limned with jokes — it’s not The Life of Brian, after all — but in the midst of the temple scene, in which much more than merchants and money-lenders infuriate Jesus, Paenga’s wry smile when fishnet-stockinged Mary Magdalene tells the Messiah he’s just a man is both revealing and mordant.
Initially costumed as a sex worker, Williams’ Mary dresses more conservatively under Jesus’s influence, and sings like an angel in her rendition of I Don’t Know How To Love Him.
The set design and special effects that include panoramic, almost cinematic, backdrops, and Andy Searle’s hi-tech lighting design share something of the production values seen in Baz Luhrmann’s masterpiece, Romeo and Juliet.
The shift to a contemporary setting invites wry touches in both productions. Judas’s surreptitious text message to let the Romans know where to find Jesus, ironically flashes up large on the cyclorama.
Jesus is down with the people, and shares similar street-wear. In contrast, the Roman rulers and administrators are far more sartorial in their dress. As Pilate, blue-suited Andrew Stevens owns the stage in his character’s few but significant appearances. Walter Walsh’s Herod is blinged up for his witty but edgy cabaret-like scene, while buttoned down in grave-black, Paul Stuart as Caiaphas sings with appropriate gravitas. Cast as Peter, seasoned singer Doug Walsh has only one solo but delivers it with characteristic smoothness.
One answer to the question, what’s the buzz, is that it was the sound of the opening night’s audience as they left the theatre. So it’s probably a good idea to book early to avoid disappointment. As history has shown, the Superstar is unlikely to return any time soon.